Solved Windows defender

I have a one day old HP ENVY dv7(which btw should really be a source of envy) that came with Windows 8(I am already missing my old Vista, seriously) which now activates Windows Defender (inactivated in Vista). While the free Norton 60-day trial period is running, WD is not... by default.

Question: when the 60-day complimentary Norton expires, can I not renew and just re-activate WD and make it my only anti-virus protection? Or do I need to renew Norton? ... or switch to MCE? Can MCE and WD work together?

Welcome
There is not need to renew Norton, in fact you should not use the two AV together.
You can turn off Norton, now and just use Defender (Formally Microsoft Security Essentials) in conjunction with the free Malwarebytes for a once a week scan. Hope you enjoy your Eight. BTW if you are interested we have an affilited site, just for 8.
Windows 8 Forums

I agree with you as to Windows 8 however if you wish to remove Norton (which would be my preference) then you should be just fine running windows defender. Unlike with Vista and 7 it is a full antivirus whereas earlier it was only antispyware and therefore not a substitute for having antivirus. It is currently disabled because you have another antivirus installed and it is strongly recommended not to have more than one antivirus installed at a time.

Before there was MCE, there was already WD which until W8 was just anti-spyware. So now MSN has two free AV's?

I know MCE and WD are not the same. Can I install both? If not, which one is better?

(BTW, I really like W8 contrary to all the many negative feedbacks worldwide.)

pappi said:

Before there was MCE, there was already WD which until W8 was just anti-spyware. So now MSN has two free AV's?

I know MCE and WD are not the same. Can I install both? If not, which one is better?

(BTW, I really like W8 contrary to all the many negative feedbacks worldwide.)

Click to expand...

Ooops...I mean MSE(Microsoft Security Essential), NOT MCE.

So now I deleted Norton and activated Defender but I cannot turn on its real time protection feature....something about expired timeout. And then I tried to download MSE but it would not download saying I do not need it.

Windows Defender is MSE, just with a new name.

pappi said:

So now I deleted Norton and activated Defender but I cannot turn on its real time protection feature....something about expired timeout. And then I tried to download MSE but it would not download saying I do not need it.

Click to expand...

You need to run Norton's removal tool before WD will fully activate.

However Pappi, you really should be asking these questions in the Windows 8 Forums but one thing to note about Windows Defender in Windows 8 is that it isn't the same software at all. In Windows 8 it incorporates the antivirus element of Microsoft Security Essentials. That is why it is disabled when you install a 3rd party security suite. That is also why Windows 8 wont let you download and install MSE.

If you miss your Vista I don't blame you, Windows 8 is quite a shock to most.

You can customize it somewhat - take a look at Stardock's Start8 software. For $4.99 you get your Start Button and Menu back on your desktop and even can tell it to boot your system straight to the desktop and bypass the Modern/Metro screen. That's still available should you want it, simply hover your cursor over the bottom or top right corner. To return to desktop either click the App or hover the cursor at the top left corner.
There are also various hacks. For instance I've now got Vista Windows Mail and Calendar working on my 8 plus the Quicklaunch. All those were from the Tutorials on SevenForums.
Now my only beef with 8 is that it is impossible to bypass the "Modern" driver installation window to install a Bluetooth keyboard without a passkey, which would make my life easier in my multi-boot scenario, plus they took away the Aero Glass/Flip 3D effects that I liked so much.

"However Pappi, you really should be asking these questions in the Windows 8 Forums....."


Hi ex-brit(I did not know there is such a person. From UK to somewhere in North America? Hmmm....)

W8 is kinda growing on me much faster than 95, 98, XP and Vista(Vista took me the longest...a whole month). Anyway, you must have read my mind about W8 forum 'cuzz I was just about to post where to find W8 users.

I have solved my probs with WD. Now I must ask how to find the Norton uninstallation link. I have removed it from Property/Program list but I am not sure if I have deleted all its orphaned remnants from the registry. Thanks for the link on W8 forum.

Per a Google Search, I think this is the right link: https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us

Thanks Peter, for the uninstall link. One last question on WD: How do you pin it to taskbar along with the time, speaker, power, wireless signal and bluetooth? ....with W8(I miss vista).

pappi said:

Thanks Peter, for the uninstall link. One last question on WD: How do you pin it to taskbar along with the time, speaker, power, wireless signal and bluetooth? ....with W8(I miss vista).

Click to expand...

If there are windows 7 or Vista drivers and you have a retail license you can downgrade.

OK....progress notes on WD in W8: So far it has picked up and removed 4 medium-severity spywares(not virus) which MBAM failed to ID.

In the beginning it was a bit unsettling not to see an AV icon in the Notification area of taskbar(I miss the reassuring presence of MSE's green check icon). But it was refreshing to realize that when WD picks up malwares it appears on the taskbar...alertingly.

It's bound to find some things that MBAM doesn't, it';s an antivirus and MBAM isn't.

I extracted this from the developer page for MBAM ages ago:

A quote from one of the lead developers of MalwareBytes (Bruce Harrison) :
...

As far as why MBAM is very good at dealing with this infection, that is simple. MBAM is designed to be very good at dealing with malware that the AVs seem to be having problems with. I do not spend my time making MBAM detect millions of infections that any decent AV already detects as MBAM is DESIGNED to work alongside antivirus software, not replace it. A huge chunk of the research that goes into MBAM revolves around what we see making it into HJT threads as the vast majority of these threads involve antivirus software that was in some way bypassed.
...
Lets settle this now and avoid any further misinformation. MBAM is now a very good backup to any antivirus software and will only get better in the future. MBAM will NEVER add antivirus abilities to its core app and is always advised to be used WITH antivirus software. We actually get this question a lot in the forums and I assure you that we always say :
"No, MBAM can't replace your existing antivirus software and is not designed to."

Click to expand...

It's really nice to know that I am using MBAM appropriately as backup AV. Odd that you do not consider it an AV(and so many others as well)...cause in the past, many times MBAM would pick up malwares in on-demand scan which MSE's real time protection failed to pick up. And vice versa. Thus, my personal conviction in having a second AV for on-demand scannings between scheduled scans with not-so-stand-alone AV.

Unfortunately, even with two concurrent AV's, I still get infected. albeit very seldom.

BTW, if MBAM ain't an AV, what is it? Standalone what?

It calls itself anti-malware.

Nothing gets everything. Also new viruses won't be caught until AV developers add the signature into the database and you update the database on your system.

I'm gonna miss Vista forum since I now probably will hang out mostly in W8 Forum. But I am happy to see ex-brit there a while ago. With patient, friendly and awesomely helpful Brink, I am learning a lot about W8 and falling in love with it in the process.

W8 rocks. It's like doing i-pad stuffs on a PC.

You and I have different views and opinions of it.